Air bag deployment chute

Abstract

An integrated air bag support structure that includes a support base for attachment to the rear side of a substrate. The support base is configured to surround a door support panel and both are configured for attachment to the rear side of a substrate in an area that is pre-weakened to define an air bag deployment door in a vehicle instrument panel or a steering wheel air bag module. The upper surfaces of the support base and door support panel are attached to the rear surface of a substrate and a test tab extends from the base that is attached to the rear surface of the substrate in the same manner as the support base and the door support panel. The test tab has an unattached extension portion for the purpose of gripping and pulling to sample test that the attachment of the test tab without affecting the attachment of the support panel.

1. An air bag deployment structure for use in an air bag deployment system of an automotive vehicle, comprising:
 a support base for attachment to the rear surface of an occupant facing substrate; said support base having upper and lower surfaces and being configured to surround a defined air bag deployment door in said substrate; 
 said upper surface of said support base being configured to be substantially continuously attached to said rear surface of said substrate; 
 a test tab extension having a first portion adjacent to and extending from said support base and a second gripping portion extending outward from said first portion, wherein said first portion is also attached to said rear surface of said substrate along with said upper surface of said support base, and wherein said second portion is not attached to said substrate. 
 
     
     
       2. An air bag deployment structure for use in an air bag deployment system of an automotive vehicle, comprising:
 a support base having a first surface configured for attachment to the rear surface of an occupant facing substrate; said support base being configured to surround a defined air bag deployment door in said substrate; 
 an air bag chute extending from said support base and containing a plurality of skirt walls for surrounding an air bag container and defining the path for deployment of the air bag from beneath said substrate towards said deployment door; 
 a test tab having a first portion extending from said support base and a second portion extending from said first portion; 
 said first portion of said test tab is identically configured for attachment to said rear surface of said substrate as said first surface of said support base; and 
 said second portion of said test tab is not attached to said rear surface of said substrate and being available for gripping and sample testing the integrity of said weld of said first portion of said test tab. 
 
     
     
       3. An air bag deployment structure as in  claim 2 , wherein said support structure and said first portion of said test tab are attached by vibration welding to said rear surface of said substrate. 
     
     
       4. An air bag deployment structure as in  claim 2 , wherein said support structure and said first portion of said test tab are adhesively attached to said rear surface of said substrate. 
     
     
       5. An air bag deployment structure as in  claim 2 , wherein said test tab serves to allow for destructive testing of the weld of said test tab to said substrate without affecting the weld of said support base to said substrate. 
     
     
       6. An air bag deployment structure for use in an air bag deployment system of an automotive vehicle, comprising:
 a support base for attachment to the rear surface of an occupant facing substrate; said support base having an upper surface and being configured to surround a defined air bag deployment door in said substrate; 
 said upper surface of said support base being configured with deformable raised ribs for substantially continuous attachment via ultrasonically welding to said rear surface of said substrate; 
 wherein said support base includes a test tab having a first portion adjacent to and extending from said support base with deformable raised ribs and a second gripping portion extending outward from said first portion, wherein said first portion is also attached to said rear surface of said substrate along with said upper surface of said support base via ultrasonically welding, and wherein said second portion is not attached to said substrate and being available for gripping and to sample test the integrity of said weld of said first portion of said test tab. 
 
     
     
       7. An air bag deployment structure as in  claim 6 , wherein said test tab serves to allow for destructive testing of the weld of said test tab to said substrate without affecting the weld of said support base to said substrate.